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CJG Blog

Center for Jewish Genetics blog

Every
family has its stories, and Jewish families tend to be very good at sharing
them. How we got from there to here. How branches of the family came together –
or were torn apart. How we learned from those who came before us.

Each
week on Shabbat, rabbis have the opportunity to tell stories about our
collective history and share lessons for the future as we relate the Torah
portion to modern life. Some weeks, of course, are a little more difficult than
others. Parshiyot Tazria and Metzorah, for instance, are about leprosy and
disease. Not the most comfortable topics to discuss.

Yet
it is the sometimes-uncomfortable stories of illness and disease that can
provide some of the most valuable information for our own health and the health
of families. Diseases may run in families for different reasons, yet often
arise due to our shared genetic heritage not just as family members, but as
persons from a particular ethnicity or whose ancestors came from specific parts
of the world.

Family
health history has particular importance for persons of Jewish descent. Several
recessive genetic disorders – including Tay-Sachs disease, Gaucher disease, and
Cystic Fibrosis – are much more common among Jews. But because these diseases
only occur when two carriers have a child together, they rarely turn up in
family health history.

In
contrast, other diseases with a genetic component often show up in family
health history. Of particular concern to Jewish families are cancers related to
mutations in the BRCA genes, which can greatly increase the risk for several
cancers in both women and men. Sharing family health history can help current
generations identify shared risks and help individual family members get the
education and preventative care they need.

As
families gather on Shabbat and other occasions, they have an opportunity to
share and ask questions of one another to piece together health history. Make
this Shabbat a Genetic Shabbat. Discuss your health information and ask
questions of other family members. Share this information with each other and,
ultimately, with your healthcare provider, who can help you interpret it and
provide guidance to protect your family.

For
family health history tools and to learn more about Jewish genetic health,
visit JewishGenetics.org or contact the Norton & Elaine Sarnoff Center for
Jewish Genetics at (312) 357-4718 or jewishgeneticsctr@juf.org.

Last summer, I embarked on a yearlong project to hear from Jewish individuals and interfaith couples about what they know about Jewish genetics topics and what they would be interested in learning. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a more-informed community by leveraging what
people already know about health and genetics and providing educational programs to fill in the gaps. And we’re still looking for people to lend their voices to this process! I’m conducting interviews through the end of March, and I am especially looking to speak with:

Dads of all ages

Interfaith couples, including non-Jewish partners

Individuals in their 40s and 50s

People who don’t regularly attend a synagogue, JCC, or other Jewish community events

Interviews last 30 minutes, and you don’t need any prior knowledge to participate. I can meet participants at their convenience for coffee on the Sarnoff Center. If you’re interested in participating, please fill out
this survey or contact me at
RebeccaBakal@juf.org or 312-357-4717.

Thanks to everyone who has donated their time so far, we have gathered information to help us develop educational resources and programming that is tailored to what community members want to know. We’ll be sharing the results of the needs assessment this summer, but here is a taste of
what’s to come.

By location:

This Sarnoff Center’s first Community Needs Assessment has taken me all over Illinois: from Chicago to Champaign-Urbana, Homewood to Highland Park, and much further. Along the way, I’ve heard from folks at all stages of their lives, including individuals who have been personally affected by Jewish
genetic disorders and many who have not.

What is the most valuable gift you can give to your family? The gift of good health! There are many health conditions that run in families. Knowing your family health history can alert you to the potential risk for a variety of
genetic disorders
. Talk to your relatives for warning signs and
assess your risk
for hereditary cancers.

Did you know: Ashkenazi Jews are 10 TIMES more likely to have BRCA mutations, which significantly increases lifetime risks for hereditary cancers, so what does this heightened risk mean for you?
Click here to learn more
.